Dometic 8501 Fridge problem
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Printed Date: 25 May 2025 at 7:45pm
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Topic: Dometic 8501 Fridge problem
Posted By: Macdad
Subject: Dometic 8501 Fridge problem
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2018 at 2:26am
| HI . I am a new owner of a 2011 177. Everything works great, except I can't get the Dometic 8501 refrigerator to operate in the "gas mode". The refrigerator works fine on 110volts and 12volts. The trailer is level, gas cylinders full, batteries fully charged, When I switch to "gas mode" absolutely nothing happens, The solenoid gas valve does not turn on, and there is no spark at the igniter. I at first suspected what appears to be a gray plastic control box outside by the gas valve to be the problem. To test, I turned the refrigerator off and held the power button in for several seconds, I then set the control to the "gas mode" and immediately ran outside and checked with a 12volt test light all wires coming in and going out of the gray box while the fridge should have been going thru its start up routine. Again, it showed no electricity either coming in or going out of the gray box. Thus I wonder if the problem is elsewhere. I have not pulled the fridge out of its compartment. Does anyone know if there are any fuses in this system, other than the ones in the main fuse panel for the entire trailer ? If so , where are they located ? Has any one else experienced this same problem ? Any assistance would be greatly appreciate. Thanks, Macdad |
Replies:
Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2018 at 7:01am
|
Something may be preventing the gas burner from lighting, be it a blockage or a mechanical problem with the burner. Try searching the older posts on this topic. There are many discussions that will give you useful hints. ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2018 at 7:02am
|
If the fridge wasn't getting 12v, nothing on it would work, and it wouldn't work in any mode..since it does, we know it's getting 12v. The biggest issue we see with "fridge on gas" problems, is line purging. Light the kitchen burners and let them run wide open for a couple minutes. Shut them off, then switch the fridge to gas and see if that works. It will usually make 3 attempts, over the course of a couple minutes, before it starts, or errors out. ------------- |
Posted By: POD WE R
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2018 at 8:38am
| The 8501 has a defective gas valve that prevents it from lighting. My service man could not get a replacement valve so Dometic sent a new fridge under warranty. |
Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2018 at 8:39am
|
Does the fridge have one of the little igniter boards like the water heater has? That board seems to be a popular fix. Would be nice if that board worked for both, but i doubt that would be the case. Also, would it be ok to just hold a match at the venturi to lite it, and prove that it's just an ignition problem? ------------- 2017.5 Rp-172 2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding |
Posted By: Craneman
Date Posted: 25 Aug 2018 at 9:32am
|
I have a 2010 174 with the same problem, after a month in a factory authorized repair shop plus going thru all the suggestions given here on this site. I was not able to get I working on gas. It would light the go right out. Reconmadation for the rv repair shop junk it and put in a norcold refer parts are extremely expensive.i have gotten by 12volt on the road, 110 when at a full hook up and when dry camping I use the good old American stand by a ice cooler a easier and cheaper fix. By the way I capped off the gas supply line at the back of the refer, good luck Moe ------------- Jo and Gary, 2010-174,2011 F150 
Jo and Gary 2010 174 2011 Ford 150 |
Posted By: Macdad
Date Posted: 26 Aug 2018 at 4:03am
|
Hi. I wanted to thank all of you for responding. As recommended , I purged my gas line by running the stove for several minutes , but still no spark nor gas valve turning on. I also have read all the other related posts. I really feel I have an electrical problem. While researching online I came across a helpful website that has a partial service manual for the 8000 series Dometic that I could download. http://bryantrv.com/docs.html It has nice colored pictures and trouble shooting aids. It shows there is a 1 amp fuse on my circuit board (on top of fridge) that feeds the "burner control device" which feeds the gas solenoid and igniter. I was really hoping that I just had a blown fuse, but it was good. The manual also describes which lead to check for voltage ,etc.. It also goes over how to hold down at the same time both the "Mode" button and the "Temperature setting button" until all 3 Mode LEDs light up (gas ,12v,110v). Once they do you then push your temp button to make them light up. The number of temperature buttons lit correspond to service checks you are performing. I found this to be quite helpful , though I still have not solved my problem.
One thing I think I need to check out, is that the porcelain insulator was broken on the igniter. I wondering if that could cause it to short out and not spark ; and maybe if does not spark, the gas valve won't open. Does anyone know? Has anyone had a similar situation. Thanks. Macdad |
Posted By: Macdad
Date Posted: 04 Sep 2018 at 12:40am
|
Problemed fixed. I traced the problem to no electric signal coming out of the Power Module circuit board in the "eye brow" panel above the door. There are 3 wires (white, black, purple) coming off terminal "X105" on the board. that go to the "burner control device" (gray box) outside. After unplugging the 3 wires, and trying to start it in the "gas" mode, I found no electricity in any combination of the 3 terminal strips.
In the 8501 series, there are 2 type of boards, MES-older style, and the AES-newer style. Mine was the MES type. I fortunately found one at 1/5 the price of a new one $448. , used on eBay. I plugged it in, and it works great. Macdad 
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 04 Sep 2018 at 7:20am
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Glad you got it up and running..
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Posted By: Brianh
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2018 at 2:59pm
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Hi, this seems to be the most active thread about Dometic refrigerator reviews, and I've read it several times. Congrats Macdad on fixing yours! I have a different problem and was hoping to get comments. Mine stopped cooling in LP mode last spring, just cooled, not cold. I had the heat exchange chamber, or whatever its called, cleaned and the unit worked for 3 days. It works just fine on DC and AC. Then, it started to work great for the next 5 weeks while in Utah. Now fast forward to a month ago, same problem. It lights and cools while sitting in the driveway. But once you take off, it doesn't get cold on LP. I've had it in the service dept. for 10 days and they say they cannot replicate the unit not working on LP. I've read about replacing the thermocoupler? Any ideas on this? I'm all for preventive maintenance and just replacing a few parts. Thanks. I'm heading to South Dakota next Wednesday and then Wyoming in a month. Would be nice to figure this thing out.
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Posted By: marwayne
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2018 at 3:13pm
Clean the orifice and burner. https://postimg.cc/image/cmde41txn/"> ------------- If you want something done right, do it yourself. 2011 RP172, 2016 Tundra 5.7 Litre, Ltd. |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2018 at 6:58pm
|
Am curious Marwayne if this is something you do on a somewhat regular schedule as far as cleaning the orifice and burner. Your pod is the same age as mine and I have never cleaned either yet the fridge continues to work quite nicely. Also we always use propane unless we happen to go to a campground that has electric so the fridge has a lot of propane hours under its belt, including all the drive time of over 26,000 miles we have logged on it traveling down the road as it is in propane mode.
------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: marwayne
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2018 at 7:39pm
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I don't know why but I have to do this more or less every year. ------------- If you want something done right, do it yourself. 2011 RP172, 2016 Tundra 5.7 Litre, Ltd. |
Posted By: Brianh
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2018 at 8:00pm
| Yea, my plan is to clean it tomorrow. DIY, agreed, is better. And you know its been done. |
Posted By: Macdad
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2018 at 1:44am
|
Hi Brianh.
Several thoughts come to mind. 1. Who ever cleaned the heat exchanger, did they bend the thermocouple, so it is not in the correct position. The flame should make good contact with it, if it doesn't get hot enough it will shut off the gas and the flame and everything shuts down. 2. Similar to my first comment , maybe the thermocouple is sort of in the right position , but not quite right. As long as you are sitting still it gets hot enough to keep the flame going, but once traveling , the flame gets diverted, blown out of the way and the thermocouple shuts it down. 3. Did who ever clean it, did they mechanically clean the "orifice = "jet" = the tiny hole the gas-flame comes out of ? If they did , they could have changed the hole's diameter. They are very precise for a correct flame. Good Luck . Macdad |
Posted By: Brianh
Date Posted: 16 Sep 2018 at 12:17pm
| Macdad....those are great suggestions. I was of the opinion also that it might be the orifice or the thermocoupler. The one who fixed it a few weeks ago, said the burner was out of alignment. So all of this makes sense. I'm going to get a new themocoupler and just replace the unit and clean the orifice. Ironically, I used the the trailer this past weekend and it works just fine, LOL. |
Posted By: dlatzko
Date Posted: 28 Sep 2020 at 6:36pm
| Other than your fridge not working on propane, was your eyebrow panel exhibiting other strange behavior? I have the same Dometic RM8501 that works completely on battery, but will not switch to 120v or propane at all...switches are nonresponsive. This occurred after being off in storage for the winter last year. |
Posted By: TimK182G
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2020 at 9:05am
|
Great detective work MacDad. Refrigerator problems seem to be a popular topic.
------------- 2018 R-Pod 182G 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 |